Through Darkened Halls
by HPRndRobin
Summary: Summary: Firestar038's challenge: Severus' spying is found out by Voldemort and he's punished for his 'crimes'. When he's returned to Hogwart's he's blind and given up. What happens when Harry decides to intervene?
1. Chapter 1

** Title: Through Darkened Halls  
Author: Many wonderful writers from the HPRoundRobinLivejournal, each chapter may be someone different from the one before.  
Rated: R for upcoming situations Summary: Firestar038's Challenge: Severus's spying is found out by the Dark Lord and he's punished. He's returned to Hogwarts blind with little hope of regaining his sight and as a result has given up hope. What happens when Harry decides to intervene?  
Pairing: SS/HP  
Spoilers: None that i know of.  
Disclaimer: Not mine. No money made. These characters belong to JK Rowling  
Feedback: Always welcome. **

**Through Darkened Halls  
Chapter 1  
By Leianora**

He continued to stir, letting the familiar motion soothe away all the tension in his body and mind. The brats had been particularly difficult today, but he'd expected no less, because it was a Hogsmeade weekend. Somehow, things always seemed more chaotic on this, the final day before the dunderheads; the older ones at least, could get away and cause problems off school grounds and out of sight of the professors.

Potter, especially, seemed able to find trouble simply by walking into, or out of, a room. That brat, in particular, had strained his last nerve today. He was glad the boy only had one more year after this to plague him. He forced himself to stop thinking about the explosion the Idiot had caused by his inattentiveness, letting the motion of his arm bring him back to his task with a gentle reminder of who and where he was.

Suddenly, his attempts to clear his head and rid himself of the week's mental and emotional detritus were rudely cut off by the burn that started building in his left arm.

"Damn!"

Usually, he refused to give in to such childish utterances when he was working, but today was different. Only later would he realize how different today really was. He put down the ladle and made his way to his office. He quickly wrote a note to Albus, letting him know where he was going, and made his way to the edge of Hogwarts' anti-apparation wards. He took a deep breath, put on his mask and cloak, and disappeared.

The dank underground tunnel did not make Severus feel any safer. He knew this was deliberate, but he refused to give into the primal fear that was threatening to gnaw away at the edges of his mind. The Dark Lord loved seeing how far he could push his servants, but this night, as on many others, he would not find Severus wanting, at least, Severus hoped he wouldn't. Walking beside McNair, Severus wondered, not for the first time, when things had started to go wrong with this insane creature who had once been a man. Had he always been like this? Even as he thought of this, he knew that he was treading on dangerous ground. He forced himself to push all speculations to the very back of his mind and began to listen to McNair's rambling.

"Did you hear me, Severus?"

"Sorry, I had my mind on other things. What were you saying?"

McNair's grin split his face in a very unpleasant way. When he spoke, Severus heard the low, dangerous purr of a homicidal maniac.

"I was saying, our lord found a traitor, or he thinks he did. You know what that means don't you?"

Inwardly, Severus' heart nearly stopped beating. Had things finally come to a head at last? Was he going to come out of this alive? If The Dark Lord suspected someone else, would he be called upon to kill yet another human being in order to keep his cover from being blown? He gave a mental sigh. He could do that, he'd done it once already, but it wasn't easy. Still, nothing worth while was ever easy. He'd been forced to participate in the killing of one man, and had been forced to watch while others killed three more in this latest purge of followers, but he could say or do nothing to stop it, lest he be next on the list to die.

Finally, they reached the inner sanctum of the Dark Lord's private chamber. McNair went forward and knelt to kiss the Dark Lord's robe. Severus followed, but before he could rise, Voldemort laid a hand on the back of his neck.

"Ah, my dear Severus," Voldemort said in an oddly gentle voice. "I was wondering when you'd come. Kneel up and look at me."

Severus slowly rose to his knees and obeyed, occluding his mind and forcing himself to breathe normally. He met the Dark Lord's gaze and then found that he could not look away. His heart began to pound faster.

"Tell me, Severus, do you have a guilty conscience? Is there, perhaps, something you want to talk about? Do you feel the need to unburden your heart to your master?"

Severus answered without hesitation. He knew he could answer this question honestly, because Voldemort hadn't specifically named his 'master'.

"Yes, my lord," he said. "I do feel the need most keenly."

Voldemort began to laugh, the high, cold laugh that always made Severus shiver, no matter how much he struggled not to show it. His hand reached out and gripped Severus' chin in an almost tender, yet firm grip. All mirth was gone from the red eyes.

"I wonder," he murmured, "which master were you referring to, Severus?"

Severus was now staring directly into the madman's eyes. He could not look away, and something told him that no matter what he said, he wasn't going to get out of this in one piece. He took a deep breath before speaking.

"I serve only one master, my lord," he said.

"I'm glad you've decided to be honest with me, Severus. Your honesty should be rewarded. I am a fair man, after all. I'm going to have to punish you as an example to my servants, but you shall not be killed. I intend to make a lasting impression tonight."

Severus quickly decided not to push his luck by answering honestly to the madman's remarks. Voldemort stroked his left cheek with his thumb. Severus felt another chill run down his spine at the horrible parody of a caress.

"Ah, my Severus, my dear Severus, what was it that caused you to turn from me? I offered you everything, fame, time and funding to do your research, victims for your experiments, a place within the inner circle, and research material a plenty. What was lacking? What did Dumbledore give you that I could not, hmmm?"

A part of Severus was relieved. There would be no more playacting. No more late night returns to a cold lonely dungeon after hours of torture and emotional pain. There would be no more helpless frustration caused by teaching students who didn't want to learn what he had to teach. He'd always known that he was going to die this time around. No man could be lucky twice, except Albus Dumbledore, perhaps. This thought made him smile, and gave him strength to endure what lay ahead.

"My lord, do you truly wish me to answer your questions?"

Voldemort's fingers continued to stroke his face, and Severus ignored the revulsion that threatened to cause him to be physically sick.

"Yes, I do. Tell me everything," Voldemort replied.

"Dumbledore offered me my life. He offered me a chance to regain my dignity. He gave me the strength of character to face what I'd done while in your service and atone for it. He gave me a second chance, and most of all, he forgave me, and showed me how to forgive myself. What more could any man want?"

"Indeed?"

That single word was the only warning Severus got. Suddenly, Voldemort released him and hurled him to the floor. He tensed when the cry of, _'Crucio!'_ rang throughout the chamber, and then began to scream as the pain tore through every fiber of his being.


	2. Chapter 2

**

Through Darkened Halls  
Chapter 2  
By Aria-fic

**

The 7th year boys' dorm shook and rumbled from the anguished shrieks emitted by the Boy-Who-Lived. Harry Potter's dorm mates were accustomed to being woken by their friend's heart breaking cries, uttered in the midst of a gruesome nightmare or vision. Like a well-aimed arrow, Ron Weasley shot up from his bed and rushed over to Harry's side. He began shaking the writhing boy while murmuring soothing words in his ear, trying to rouse him. Harry's features contorted in pain as yet another spasm shook him uncontrollably.

"It's a bad one." Seamus Finnegan stated in a concerned tone as he leaned uneasily on one of Harry's bedposts. Realizing his current actions were not making an impact, Ron leaned down over Harry, grabbed his friend's shoulders and began shaking them. He continued speaking softly to Harry, urging him to open his eyes and flee from his demons.

Turning his head helplessly towards Seamus, the redhead ordered, "Get McGonagall!"

A moment later, as the prim head of house raced into the dorm followed by a flushed Seamus Finnegan, the suffering teen was still thrashing and screaming loudly in his sleep. Minerva McGonagall replaced Ron at Harry's bedside and cleared the fringe from his brow. The lightening bolt-shaped scar was red and swollen, as the boy scrunched his face in pain and touched his scar protectively. The stern professor's expression clearly showed she was at a loss. All usual attempts to awaken the suffering boy had failed, yet she dared not use magic on him, fearing her spells would react negatively with that which he seemed to be experiencing through his dream.

All of a sudden Harry's body went rigid. The spasm seemed to have stopped, but a shrill scream escaped his frozen lips as his hands covered his still-closed eyes and began rubbing them wildly.

Realizing she was at the end of her wits, with a quick nod of her head in Seamus' direction, Professor McGonagall motioned for him to fetch Professor Dumbledore. Then she sat back, sighed heavily, and waited.

As luck would have it, Harry's eyes shot open the second Professor Albus Dumbledore sauntered into the room. The commotion was great as the boys neared Harry's bed, anxiously inquiring what had plagued their friends sleep, this time. A low howl was the young man's only response as he, once again, clawed at his puffy eyes with fervor. Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat loudly and with a gentle wave of his hand motioned for the other boys to quiet down.

"Now boys, I believe Mr. Potter could use a moment or two to regain his composure. I must ask that you return to your beds." With a swift flick of his wand, the aged wizard cast a silencing charm around Harry's bed so as to ensure the following conversation would remain amongst himself, his deputy, and Harry.

He then turned to face Harry and offered him a warm smile before asking, "How are you feeling, Harry?"

The troubled teen who had finally pried his hands away from his face crossed his arms over his chest in a protective gesture and sat up in bed. He waited for the shaking to subside, while attempting to stifle his whimpers. Minerva McGonagall placed a reassuring hand on her student's shoulder as she exchanged a worried look with Dumbledore.

"It's Snape." Harry yelled, quite abruptly.

Dumbledore's eyes darkened instantly as McGonagall gasped.

"What's happened to Professor Snape, Harry?"

"Voldemort's got him! He's discovered Snape's a spy and has been torturing him for the better part of the night!"

Harry's voice was hysterical and he appeared to be reliving the pain he had recently experienced once more, simply by conveying the vision he had been privy to. Dumbledore peered deeply into Harry's eyes, while McGonagall wrapped her arms around him instinctively.

"Where is Professor Snape now?" Dumbledore's voice was as close to frantic as either Harry or McGonagall had ever witnessed, which only served to heighten their own fear and agitation.

Harry jumped out of bed and began searching for his clothes, as he replied:

"He was in a large hall filled with antiques, mostly in gold and brass; Lots of swords and knives hanging on the walls. It was very creepy, to say the least."

A pregnant pause filled the room before he continued his account.

"Voldemort cast Cruciatus on him for a long time…"

McGonagall handed Harry the T-shirt that was flung beside her, on his nightstand, as she spoke. "Yes well, he was placed under the curse up until the moment you woke up, I presume."

Harry shook his head vigorously. "No! He was released from Cruciatus before any permanent damage could be done."

Both professors looked baffled by this last statement, and before Harry could continue his explanation, Dumbledore took a step towards him and asked, in a steely tone.

"Tell me what he's done to Severus, Harry."

For a millisecond all Harry could think of was the sadness and desperation in the headmaster's gaze. After all, he knew Snape was acting as Dumbledore's spy and he realized how important the man was to the side of the Light, but up until that very moment, the young wizard hadn't grasped just how close the two older men were. The concern in Dumbledore's eyes was so great that Harry imagined it must resemble that of a father's concern for his child.

A gentle pat on the back from McGonagall brought Harry out of his reverie. Standing before them in his T-shirt and boxers, the young wizard explained:

"He said he would make an example out of Professor Snape, sir. He said he would use him to show his servants how the Dark Lord punishes those who betray him."

Harry took a deep breath and continued. "He cursed Professor Snape's eyes. I still remember the incantation he used. Voldemort loomed over the professor, aimed his wand directly in between his eyes and said _'Corripio Animadverto Formositas'_. Then he laughed. Cackled, more like it, and I felt as if someone had flicked burning coals into my eyes. I thought they had caught fire!"

Harry rubbed his eyes again, trying to erase the painful memory with his soft touch. He then looked up at his professors and found Dumbledore and McGonagall's faces to be pale and grief stricken. McGonagall had placed her hand on the nightstand, and Harry suspected the small table was the only thing keeping her in place.

Having experienced the pain of the curse, he could only imagine it would carry grave repercussions. He had never heard of this curse before and was hoping one of the professors would enlighten him soon.

Before he could even voice this request, Dumbledore placed a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder and thanked him for sharing his vision.

"It's one of the most painful curses to suffer, Harry. An ancient dark curse that hadn't been practiced for Merlin knows how long."

The young wizard's eyebrow shot up in shock. "Why hasn't it been outlawed if it was so dangerous to cast, sir?"

Dumbledore considered this for a moment before offering an explanation. "There are only two documented cases in history in which this particular curse has been used. Both wizards in question are said to have met their untimely deaths in unnatural ways, not long after casting it. This legacy made the curse rather unpopular, which in return, caused it to lose significance in the eyes of our legislators."

Harry sighed, not really knowing what to say.

"The victims of this curse were blinded for life, were they not, Albus?" McGonagall asked quietly.

Dumbledore nodded somberly. Harry froze upon hearing that. Snape would be blind? Sweet Merlin, that can't be! With newfound assertiveness, Harry completed buttoning the trousers he'd finally located under his bed, and said, in a no-nonsense tone that surprised even him.

"Come on then, we have to go find Professor Snape!"

"If Voldemort wants to set him as an example, he should be releasing him sometime soon. He might have sent him back already, actually!"

With Dumbledore weakened by the grief and pain he was suffering over Severus' predicament, and McGonagall exhibiting surprising frailty under pressure, Harry seemed to be leading the odd search party out of the dorm and the castle, in hopes of finding Severus Snape, before anyone else might…

_Corripio Animadverto Formositas_: Very loose translation: to steal the beauty of sight.


	3. Chapter 3

**Through Darkened Halls  
Chapter 3  
By Corgi**

Searing agony lanced at his eyes and echoing in his ears was the laughter and taunts of his peers. Despite the pain he was currently in he didn't regret his change of allegiance, not one bit. He'd miss Hogwarts, annoying brats and all. He recognized the curse that caused the lingering pain in his eyes. With out his sight there was no way for him to teach and as a result he'll lose the only home he's every known. He mourned the loss of his only escapes from his lonely life. He'll miss his books and potions. He knew he'd never see again thanks to the son of a bitch he sold his soul to years ago. They'll be no where for him to go now that he could no longer teach the brats. That thought constantly ran through his head no matter what the previous thought was. He no longer had a home. The family manor was nothing more than a pile of rubble and the last house-elf died when he first began teaching. He didn't know what he was going to do.

He did his best to block out the rest of the noise surrounding him as they all took turns torturing him. He retreated into his mind and began planning his future, provided the bastard left him with one. Right this moment he was nothing but a mass of pain. So much so he couldn't identify what was the most critical of his injuries. The Dark Lord called them off finally and Severus allowed himself to pay attention to what was going on around him now. His voice gave out a long time ago and the Dark Lord didn't get as much enjoyment out of his favourite past time if the victim couldn't respond.

"Let this be a lesson to you all! Anyone who betrays me will suffer the same fate as this traitor." The Dark Lord hissed at his followers. Severus could just picture the gloating look on the worm's face. "As I promised, Severus, I've made you an example to everyone. I shall enjoy seeing what you do with yourself now." Voldemort chuckled cruelly and Severus could hear the bastard's robes rustling around him. He felt Voldemort's gaze leave him and suppressed the jump of surprise when his tormentor spoke to someone else in a loud voice. "You four return to Hogwarts before you're missed and dump this in the Forbidden Forest." A kick to his side emphasized that it was he that would be dumped.

"Yes, my Lord." The prompt reply was in Draco's distinctive drawl and Severus wondered which of his Slytherins were also bringing him home.

He retreated into his mind once again as a means to escape the pain and he vaguely registered the muttered Mobilicorpus that hauled him upright like some macabre marionette. As he felt himself drifting through the air, darkness began to envelope him and he let it do so without a fight.

He came to when he was unceremoniously dumped on damp, pungent soil. The air was cool around him and he concluded that they were deep inside the Forbidden Forest. Part of him hoped that Albus or Hagrid would find him while the other hoped that he'd died right then and there. His wishes were ignored when he started to hear shouting. Stupify echoed through the trees and he heard three bodies hitting the ground.

"Figures you couldn't keep you nose out of other people's business." Malfoy drawled. The person he was talking to responded with a muttered curse. He heard the younger Malfoy scrambling to get out of the way of what was probably a well executed curse.

His student retaliated and this time when Severus heard the counter curse he was able to identify the caster. It was Potter and Severus would recognize that voice anywhere.

"How low the heir of the Malfoys has fallen; taken to groveling at the feet of a halfblooded bastard." Potter baited his opponent.

"You know nothing of power, Potter."

"I know quite a bit about it, Malfoy." Potter responded and sent another curse at the Slytherin.

"_Crucio!_" Severus winced when Draco shouted the curse and much to his surprise Potter didn't make a sound of pain. Severus heard the curse impact and instead of screaming Potter was laughing.

"Let me show you how it's done, Malfoy. _Crucio!_" Severus had never heard so much hate in Potter's voice, not even directed at him. Malfoy junior screamed and the sound echoed in the trees.

"Potter, are you mad?" Severus hissed at the young Gryffindor, who immediately lifted the Cruciatus Curse and moved to his side after stupefying the blonde.

"Yes, I'm thoroughly pissed off. Professor McGonagall and the Headmaster will be here shortly."

"I didn't mean angry, impudent whelp! You've finally gone insane. All Malfoy has to do is demand they check your wand for the use of an unforgivable and you're doomed, boy."

"You shouldn't talk. If you over stress those damaged vocal cords they won't recover. As to the topic of your concern, I'd be in trouble if I was using my wand." Potter chuckled slightly before muttering a spell under his breath.

Severus was going to say something more, but was interrupted by the arrival of Albus and Minerva, both of which fussed over his tortured form. He did his best to push them away, but to no avail. They refused to listen to what little he could say. The two seemed unable to function properly, which was even more surprising than Potter using an unforgivable. Potter on the other hand seemed to be the only one capable of acting rationally. He found himself being levitated onto a stretcher and realized that was the spell Potter muttered before the two fussbudgets arrived. Once settled on the stretcher the entire group made their way swiftly to the Infirmary where they were promptly thrown out by Poppy. He uncharacteristically let the witch fuss over him and he could feel her worried frown focused on him.

"It'll be all right, Severus." She told him with a gently placed hand on his shoulder.

"It won't be, Poppy. I know that there's nothing you can do for my eyes and without them I cannot do my work. I cannot brew nor teach." Severus replied in a defeated tone.

"How about getting a sight familiar? There are several species of birds that are trained for the task."

"They don't see colour the way I must, if they see colour at all. Also the positioning of their eyes will affect the way I work. There's nothing to be done, Poppy." Severus said with a note of finality. He slid down so he was lying down and allowed Poppy to finish her exam.

* * *

Harry escaped Madam Pomfrey's purge of the Hospital Wing when they brought Snape in. He watched as Pomfrey checked Snape's injuries and couldn't help the anger that flowed through him at the defeated tone in what was left of the proud man's voice. Snape was broken and he had no idea why he was so angry. It was as if these acts were perpetrated on his body. He didn't bother to examine those feelings too closely. He made sure he was well hidden when Pomfrey allowed the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall to return to Snape's bedside. The Headmaster was on the verge of tears and Harry listened closely to their conversation.

"Severus, my boy, I'm so sorry. I should not have asked you to go back." Dumbledore told the dark-haired man.

"I would have gone whether you asked me to or not. The good outweighed the bad. We've managed to save far too many lives for me to regret this. I don't know where I'm going to go, but I'll be out as soon as Poppy releases me." Snape said in response.

"Why?" Dumbledore looked confused from what Harry could see.

"I can't teach or brew, Albus. There is nothing for me to do here other than take up space. I'll clear out for the new potions teacher." Harry bristled at the negativity that was never part of the man's personality, at least not when it came to his own abilities.

"Nonsense, Severus. You'll not be leaving here. Neither Albus nor I will allow it. This is your home and will remain so. Don't argue with me, Severus. You won't win." Professor McGonagall snapped at he colleague and Harry couldn't help cheering her on.

"Really Minerva, the Board of Governors will not allow me to freeload here if I can't teach. You also can't have someone baby sit me because of my former students trying to finish what the Dark Lord started."

"You're full of it, Professor." Harry jumped in without thinking. Everyone in the room jumped since they had forgotten he was part of the rescue party. "You can still teach. You may not be able to see what colour the potion is, but if you can tell what ingredient Neville's dropped into his cauldron from the other side of the room and with your back to him by sound alone then you can still teach. I've watched you during class. You don't need to look at your hands while chopping or shredding, you can tell if a potion's consistency is off just by the drag on your stirrer and you're able to judge how fresh something is and adjust accordingly just by its texture. So stop the self-pity. Or are you just going to let Voldemort win?" The headmaster's eyes were twinkling madly and his Head of House was looking at him with her jaw hanging open. Snape on the other hand was flush with anger.

"Potter, mind your own business. There is nothing anyone can do. Albus, I'll pack my things the moment Poppy frees me."

While he listened to the three arguing about Severus' fate his mind went into overdrive. There was a solution it just needed to be found. He decided that he'll look for a short term solution since he just didn't have the research skills to find a long term. It was a long time before his teachers stopped arguing and that was only because the medi-witch threw them out a second time. Harry returned to Gryffindor Tower and spent the rest of the night staring at the ceiling thinking. He wasn't going to let Voldemort win and he was going to let Snape to allow the bastard to do so. That's what the snake-faced monster wanted. To watch Snape slide into despair and Harry wasn't going to sit around and let that happen. After the all the man saved his life a number of times and most likely more times then he knew about. Harry thought that it was past time that he repaid some of that debt despite the man's absolute hatred of him.

Harry eventually managed to return to sleep for a short time before being shaken awake by his best friend. After a short pillow fight the two met up with Hermione in the common room and they made their way to breakfast. They were among the first to be up and they sat a good distance away from any of the other Gryffindors present. Harry braced himself for the inquisition.

"Harry, what happened last night? You woke the entire Tower with your shrieks." Hermione asked, looking him over for any lingering effects.

"Yeah, Harry. It was horrible. None of us could wake you up." Ron added around a mouthful of eggs.

"Voldemort discovered that Snape was a spy and last night tortured him to make him an example to the rest." Harry told them in a hushed voice.

"I can't believe he's dead." Hermione sobbed, while Ron tried to comfort her.

"He's not."

"He's not what, Harry?" Ron asked in confusion.

"Snape's still alive. He's in the hospital wing recovering, but he won't be able to teach for a while."

"What did Voldemort do to him?" Hermione asked and Harry could see a glint of anger forming in her eyes.

"He blinded him."

"What did he use?" Harry smiled inwardly as the rage built in her eyes. She'll be willing to look for a cure for the curse while he searched for a temporary fix for Snape's problem.

"The bastard used an obscure curse called _Corripio Animadverto Formositas_. Dumbledore told me that there were only two documented cases and the wizards that used the spell died untimely and unnatural deaths, but their victims never regained their sight."

"Perhaps the people searching didn't look hard enough." Hermione said and Harry could see her mentally going through the library for a place to start.

"Willing to give a go, Hermione?" Harry asked and when the brilliant witch nodded broke into a huge grin. "Good. I think I can find something that will get him back onto his feet while you do what you do best."

"That's all well and good, but why do you care what happens to the greasy git?" Ron asked thoroughly bewildered at the conversation.

"Ron, he's a member of the Order. If we don't take care of him now that he's out of action who will?" Hermione questioned the boy in exasperation.

"I refuse to let Voldemort win and if we don't help him then the bastard wins. I hate losing and besides I owe Snape several times over."

Ron threw his hands up in surrender and they moved on to other topics as the Great Hall filled and their house table filled to capacity. They were just finishing their breakfast when Professor McGonagall started working her way down the table handing out she's of parchment to each student.

"Good morning, Potter, Weasley, Granger. This is your independent study sheets for potions until another teacher can be hired to teach the class." She told them with a sad look in her eyes.

"Professor, may I get a pass to the restricted section? I have some research to do and I need some references from there." Hermione had a determined look in her eyes and McGonagall's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"What are you three up to?" She asked suspiciously.

"What we do best, Professor, foiling Voldemort's plans." Harry answered with a determined look of his own. "But at this moment I'll settle for wiping that smug look off of the remaining Slytherins' faces."

"Come to my office before classes start, Ms. Granger."

"Thank you, Professor."

The day went slowly, much too slowly, and after dinner Harry and his friends made their way to the library. As they walked through the halls they overheard several Slytherins in the shadows talking about Snape and his torture. Harry was fuming as he eavesdropped on the conversation. He was more determined now than he ever was to get Snape back to stalking the hallways again.

The reached the library and started working on their potions research. They had to define the uses and interactions of the Platinum Tunnel Snake's scales in potions. Leave it to Snape to pick the rarest and least know snake for them to research. They searched for hours for the references to it and they found some information in the oddest place, their Care of Magical Creatures textbook. As they read through the entry something caught Harry's attention.

_The Platinum Tunnel Snake is also sought for their eyes. The eyes of a PTS are very much like human eyes. The see colors just like a human and they have binocular vision instead of monocular vision as their fellow reptiles. As a result of this their eyes are sought for vision repairing potions. They have been rumoured to bond with a chosen master and can allow said person view occurrences through their eyes. There are no accurate accounts so whether it is true cannot be confirmed._

As he finished reading the account he studied the picture that accompanied the section and slowly a plan began to form. All he had to do was figure out how he was going to get his hands on one of those Platinum Tunnel Snakes and decided that he needed to pay a visit to Hagrid. If anyone knew how to get their hands on something that hard to find it would be Hagrid. After last year's lesson with the Chimaeras Harry knew that Hagrid had a source for non-tradable creatures and if Hagrid was willing he'd help him smuggle one of the snakes into the school for the Professor the Slytherins won't be so smug. Now that he had an idea and plan in place he would concentrate on his assignments.


	4. Chapter 4

**

Through Darkened Halls  
Chapter Four  
by Niamh Tirneanach

**

That weekend, Harry slipped away from Ron and Hermione and hurried down to visit Hagrid.

"Hello, Harry," Hagrid enthusiastically greeted his young friend when Harry came up to him in the pumpkin patch.

"Good morning, Hagrid," Harry said breathlessly as he tried to suck air into his lungs. "Listen, do you know how I can get a Platinum Tunnel Snake?" Harry got straight to the point -- he didn't want to waste any time.

Hagrid stopped his digging and looked directly at Harry with a slight frown on his face. "Why do yeh need one of those?" he asked.

"Please, Hagrid," Harry pleaded. "It's important -- I think one could help Professor Snape."

The expression on Hagrid's face lightened as he studied Harry. He took up his shovel and gestured for Harry to follow him into his hut. "Why don't we discuss this over tea?" he invited.

Harry followed Hagrid into his hut and took a seat in one of the smaller chairs that Hagrid had set up not long into Harry's first year. Hagrid got some water boiling, and in a few minutes, he was pouring some tea. He sat down across from Harry and asked, "Now, what's this then?"

Harry launched into an explanation of his reading from earlier in the week. He explained how he thought that such a snake would be perfect for Professor Snape -- even mentioning how he thought it fitting that the Head of Slytherin have a snake for a familiar.

Hagrid frowned at the last bit, but he smiled at Harry. "I told yeh, didn't I, Harry? Professor Snape never meant you any real harm; he's just a bit, er, unpleasant at times. Good on yeh fer finally realizin' that. It's good to see yeh wanting to help the Professor, Harry. I know where I may be able to get a hold of just such a snake. I'll see what I can do, and you just concentrate on yer studies in the meantime, all righ'?" Hagrid answered, with a proud look for Harry.

Harry nodded his acquiescence and turned his attention to his tea. Until they finished, the conversation remained on lighter things, and Harry left Hagrid's hut feeling considerably lighter than he had since finding his Potions Professor.

* * *

Two weeks later, Harry received a note from Hagrid calling him to Hagrid's hut when he a free moment. Surmising that it was about the snake, he went down to Hagrid in the time set aside for his independent study for Potions - much to Hermione's dismay.

"Did you get it, Hagrid?" Harry burst out as soon as Hagrid opened the door.

"Calm down, Harry, calm down," Hagrid hushed Harry. "Yeah, I got it. 'Twas easier than I expected. It's right over here." He led Harry to a small box on his table.

Harry opened the box to get his first look of a Platinum Tunnel Snake. It was slightly ugly, as its eyes were position on the front of its head instead of the sides. Its scales had a silvery sheen to them over a green that was the shade of a fading leaf.

Harry hissed at it. "_Hello,_" he said carefully.

The snake looked at him. "_Hello,_" it returned after a brief moment. Harry glanced excitedly at Hagrid, only to see Hagrid staring at him with rapt fascination. Harry sighed -- he really did not want to know the implications of that look - and turned his attention back to the snake.

"_Can you bond with a person?_" Harry asked anxiously.

Harry got the distinct impression that if the snake had the ability to frown, that was what it would be doing right at that moment. "_Bond?_" it echoed.

Harry tried to explain. "_I've heard that you can… lend your sight to a human,_" he explained. "_I have a teacher; he needs someone like you right now._"

"_Yes…_" the snake hissed before stopping. "_…it can be done._"

Harry grinned broadly.

"Thanks a lot, Hagrid," he said. "This is perfect."

Hagrid just smiled.

* * *

After dinner, Harry approached Professor McGonagall. "Professor, may I speak with you for a moment?" he asked as she walked by.

Minerva turned to Harry and nodded. "Of course, Mr Potter. Let's go to my office."

They walked together to Minerva's office in a sort of nervous silence. Harry was anxious about his request, but Minerva was simply puzzled -- Harry rarely approached her that way. When they arrived, Minerva sat down behind her desk and motioned for Harry to sit down as well.

"Now, Mr Potter, what can I do for you?" she asked him gently.

Harry swallowed nervously before launching into a bit of a babbling explanation of how and why he had got a hold of a snake for Professor Snape. When he finished, Minerva sat back in her chair - she was quite impressed with Harry.

"Harry," she began, "I am quite proud of you. Your speech in the Hospital Wing to Professor Snape was quite a surprise, and the fact that you've followed through on that speech impresses me. But what do you need me to do?"

Harry blushed at Minerva's comments, and gave her a small smile. "Thank you, Professor," he said quietly. "I need you to give Professor Snape the snake. Please? He'd never take it if he knew it's from me…" Harry's voice trailed off, almost dejectedly.

Minerva studied her student silently for a bit. Harry had been forced to grow up quickly, and here he was demonstrating a maturity beyond the majority of boys his age. She could see that Harry was quite sincere, and she was truly impressed by the amount of effort he had gone through for a Professor who gave every appearance of (she hoped) hating the young man.

"All right, Harry," she said softly, "I shall pass on your gift to Professor Snape. Tell me, though, do you know how to bond the snake with the wizard?"

Harry paled at her question as he realised that he had no idea how to go about doing that.

Minerva smiled at that, and she replied, "Well, perhaps the Headmaster will know. Thank you, Harry."

Harry stood at the implied dismissal. "You won't tell Professor Snape it's from me, will you, Professor?" he asked worriedly.

Minerva shook her head. "Of course not, Harry," she said with a smile.

Harry smiled his thanks and left then with a, "Good night, Professor, thank you."

He left Minerva staring bemusedly at the snake. "Well," she said to it, "he may not know how to bond you to our potions master, but I'm sure someone does."

>br> 


	5. Chapter 5

**

Through Darkened Halls  
Chapter 5  
By Deirdre

**

The next morning, Harry was waylaid by Professor McGonagall on his way to breakfast. "Potter, come with me, please," she said in her usual stern tone, but Harry could see the hints of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

Harry followed his Head of House silently to Dumbledore's office. The Headmaster had the snake wrapped around his wrist and was cooing at it and tickling it under the chin. Harry bit back a giggle and McGonagall cleared her throat.

The old wizard looked up and smiled. "Harry, Minerva. Come, sit. I've got some tea and breakfast here, if you're hungry."

Harry eyed the plate of biscuits quizzically. He didn't think wizards ate jammy dodgers. But then, Dumbledore was not most wizards. He shrugged and bit into one, feeling a sort of happy vengeance in eating something his aunt and uncle had never allowed him to lay hands on (except to serve them to their Ickle Duddykins, of course).

"Not to end the pleasantries, Albus," McGonagall said with an air of mixed amusement and annoyance, "but haven't you got something to show Mr. Potter?"

"Ah, yes, of course! I'd nearly forgotten!" He turned the book in front of him toward Harry.

The print was faded and the parchment stained, but Harry could make out the words on the page.

_Though physical Contact between Wizard and Familiar is imperative to form the Bond, it is not necessary once the Bond is solidified. The Bond will become Solid in the Hours between Lauds and Vespers, and then Both may move freely, but take Care that they never be too far Parted. Sight-bonding must be performed by a Speaker of the Animal's Language. If a Speaker be not found, a translating Spell may suffice, but the Bond will be weaker than if put into place by a True Speaker._

For maximum Effect, let the Bond be performed at the Striking of Twelve when no Cloud obscures the Waning Moon.

First let the Pair to be Bonded be joined with a silk Ribbon that covers both their Eyes.

The Incantation is first spoken to the Familiar, touching the Ribbon with Wand or Staff: Here is your Bonded. Be to him his Eyes and Sight, and serve him in all Things, never to be sundered from him, except in Death.

The Incantation is now spoken to the Wizard, Wand or Staff not removed from or moved on the Ribbon: Here is your Bonded. Let him be to you your Eyes and Sight, and serve you in all things, never to be sundered from you, except in Death.

Now tapping the Ribbon once for each Member of the Pair, the Following is said twice, First in the Familiar's Tongue: Iungo Oculus Aeternanda.

If the Process has been performed correctly, the Ribbon will shine bright as the Moon for a Moment, then dissolve at another Tap, and the Blind will now be Sighted.

Some have found it helpful to use the Wand belonging to the Wizard who will be Bonded, and I recommend this Practice if the Wand may be made any Use of by the Speaker; the Success of such Efforts must be first tested by the Casting of some innocuous Spell, and depends on strength of Friendship between Speaker and Wizard.

It was strangely worded and classically vague (what on earth were Lauds and Vespers?), but Harry grinned from ear to ear, knowing that it was, indeed, the solution they had sought. Then the introduction to the spell registered with him, and his face fell. "I have to perform this, don't I?"

"You are vastly more appealing than the alternative," said Dumbledore. Harry knew he meant Voldemort.

"Snape will never let me cast such a complicated spell on him! He'll never allow that I'd be able to get it right!"

"I believe Professor Snape will understand the necessity of you casting the spell."

"You haven't told him yet?"

"No, I will tell him when the time comes. We have a few days before the moon begins to wane. That time should be sufficient to convince him, if indeed he needs convincing. But Harry, I believe Professor Snape has more faith in your abilities than perhaps even he knows."

"I'll believe that when I see it," Harry muttered.

"Harry, before you go-- may I have your wand for a moment?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry handed his wand over. He was puzzled for a moment, but then he remembered casting the Cruciatus on Malfoy back in the forest. He thought Dumbledore had been out of earshot at the time, and mentally kicked himself for underestimating the man once more, even after all this time. If Dumbledore knew, he had a lot more to worry about than snakes and eyesight. Trepidation filled him.

Dumbledore held his hand over it for a moment and handed it back to Harry. "Well, this wand won't get you into any trouble, Harry. I'm not going to ask how you did it, though I do have some idea. Young Mr. Malfoy has related certain alleged events to his father, however, who should be arriving with Minister Fudge within the hour."

"You knew?" Harry asked incredulously, still trembling.

"Yes, I knew," the Headmaster said gravely. "And though I'm not proud of you, I feel that you should not bear punishment for something done in defence. Not from the Ministry, at any rate. But I'm afraid I will have to deduct two hundred points from Gryffindor, which I think you'll agree is more than fair."

More than fair, indeed, faced with the alternative. "Yes sir," Harry said. "And sir... I am sorry."

"I know you are, my boy. But please do choose your spells a little more wisely in future. And do be careful what you say to the Minister and Mr. Malfoy. They'll be trying to trip you up." The lightness returned to Dumbledore's countenance, all trespass seemingly forgotten. "Now, off with you. We can't have you being late. And I expect you'll earn those points back in short order," Dumbledore said, twinkling for all he was worth.

Harry left the office and hurried to History of Magic. He slid into the seat Ron and Hermione had saved for him, his heart still pounding.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. "Where were you? We thought this morning that you were on your way to breakfast, but you weren't there."

"I uh... I had to meet with Dumbledore and McGonagall. I'll tell you all about it later."

"Just as long as you're all right, mate," Ron said.

"I am," he said, smiling. "Oh, Hermione? What are Lauds and Vespers?"

"They're Catholic canonical hours. Dawn and dusk, roughly. Why?" 

Well, one might have said so in the first place! "Oh, something Dumbledore showed me. Like I said, I'll tell you later."

Having satisfied his friends' curiosity for now, Harry allowed himself to drift off to the monotone of Professor Binns' lecture, losing himself in thoughts about the spell he would have to perform. It sounded complicated, but Harry was determined to master it.

Harry was jolted out of his reverie by the door of the classroom banging open. Fortunately, the fact that the sound startled him hid his non-surprise at seeing Fudge and Malfoy Senior in the doorway. Fudge looked grim, and Malfoy looked murderous.

"Mr. Potter, if you'll come with us, please." Fudge said.

Harry stood. "What's this all about, sir?" Harry had to remember that he had never cast that curse, so he shouldn't have the faintest idea what was going on.

"I think you know very well what this is all about, Potter," Malfoy spat.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Malfoy, but I really don't have any idea," Harry said with as much innocence and confusion as he could muster.

"We'll talk about that in the Headmaster's office, young man," Fudge said tersely.

Harry shrugged and followed them, ignoring his friends' protesting and inquiries as best he could.

He found himself in Dumbledore's office for the second time that day. Harry observed that the snake was nowhere to be seen, nor was the book Dumbledore had shown him earlier. Dumbledore was sitting silently at his desk. Harry sat down in the chair Fudge gestured to. "Now, then, Potter," Fudge said. "Mr. Malfoy here has reported to me that you attacked his son."

"With all due respect, sir, I must ask which instance you are referring to. Mr. Malfoy's son has provoked many fights with me over the years." Lucius sneered at the highlighting of his son's aggression, but said nothing.

"I'm speaking of the most recent one, of course. The Ministry would not bother to involve itself in a schoolboy squabble."

"Oh! I see what you mean," Harry said. "I'd honestly almost forgotten it. Yes, Malfoy did _try_ to cast the Cruciatus curse on me, but it didn't work. So really, you've nothing to worry about. I don't wish to bring any charges."

"He lies!" Lucius hissed. "It was you who cast the Cruciatus on my son, Potter! And you didn't fail!"

"These are very serious allegations, Mr. Potter," Fudge said. "Are you certain you are remembering the events correctly?"

"Check my wand if you don't believe me," Harry said, pulling it out and offering it to Fudge.

Fudge took it and cast Priori Incantatem. The only spells it showed him casting on Malfoy in recent weeks were a few Stupefy charms and an Expelliarmus or two. Fudge stopped the playback and turned to Malfoy. "Well, Lucius, are you satisfied?"

"No, I am not! I submit that Potter cast the spell with Draco's wand."

"I have it here," Dumbledore said, finally speaking.

Fudge took it and cast the incantation again. Sure enough, there was a Cruciatus, but it was directed at Harry, not at Malfoy. Lucius Malfoy's face twisted with rage. Harry tried not to smile, realizing that Malfoy junior clearly had not told his father the whole story.

"Well, Lucius," Fudge said. "This turns the tables somewhat, doesn't it?"

"My son would never---" he began.

Harry stopped him. "But he did, didn't he, Mr. Malfoy? And badly too. It hurt about as much as a stubbed toe."

"You will not take that tone with me, boy!" Lucius snarled.

Dumbledore stood. "If you gentlemen would please all calm down," he said commandingly. "All of you know the law. There are serious penalties for attempting Unforgivable curses, but the law clearly states that it is only a capital offence if they are cast successfully. And since young Mr. Potter here has already said he does not wish to bring any charges, I do not believe there is anything to be upset about."

"He's quite right, Lucius," Fudge said. "Mr. Potter, do you still wish not to bring charges?"

"No charges, Minister. Having been a recipient of Mr. Malfoy's displeasure quite a few times, I think whatever punishment he will give Draco is more than sufficient."

"I demand a sworn statement," Malfoy said his tone surprisingly less acid than before.

Harry shrugged. "Just tell me where to sign."

Fudge borrowed a quill and parchment from Dumbledore and drew up the necessary document. Harry read it over and signed. The ink still wet, Malfoy snatched it out of Harry's hand and breezed out of the room with Fudge hurrying behind him.

"You handled that very well, Harry," Dumbledore said with a small smile.

"Thank you, sir." 

Dumbledore scribbled a note excusing him from History of Magic and sent him on his way.

Harry saw no reason to return for the rest of class, so he nipped down to the kitchen for a bit more breakfast. Jammy dodgers weren't very filling. 

"Oh, Harry Potter has come to see Dobby!" The elf exclaimed, popping up in front of Harry as soon as the portrait had closed behind him.

"Hello, Dobby, it's good to see you," Harry said. "I was hoping I could get a bit of breakfast. I missed it this morning, you see."

"Oh, Harry Potter must eat!" Dobby was beside himself with happiness and whizzed about the kitchen, presenting Harry with a plate of eggs and rashers in nothing flat.

"Is Harry Potter hearing the bad things that was done to Professor Snape?"

"Yes, Dobby, but I think we've come up with a solution for him."

Dobby clapped his hands. "Oh, good! Dobby is liking Professor Snape, even though Professor Snape is not liking Dobby. Dobby is wanting him to be better! Harry Potter is such a great wizard to be helping Professor Snape!"

Harry smiled. "Well, he's--_ I'm_ going to try. But Dobby, please don't tell Professor Snape. Professor Dumbledore needs to be the one to tell him." 

"Dobby is promising, Harry Potter!"

Harry left the kitchen and made his way to Transfiguration, full and in good spirits. He stopped by Professor Binns' classroom to collect his books and hand over his excuse from Dumbledore. The ghost didn't really seem to take much notice.

"_Now_ what's going on, Harry?" was his greeting from an exasperated Hermione.

"Hello to you, too."

"Sorry," she said. "It's not every day an angry-looking Lucius Malfoy and Minister Fudge drag you out of class, though! We were worried!"

"I promise, I'll tell you both about it later. Why don't you both meet me at the you-know-where before lunch?" The 'you-know-where' was underneath the Gryffindor Quidditch stands, a meeting place they had come to find very useful for sensitive conversations.

Both Ron and Hermione agreed, and the three of them set about their task of turning frogs into princes. Hermione's was very nice-looking, if a bit short. Ron couldn't quite get his crown right; it kept coming out more like a very pointy bowler hat. As Harry was trying in vain to get his own prince to come out without a ridiculous beard, Professor McGonagall motioned him up to her desk.

"Professor Dumbledore has spoken to Professor Snape, and he's agreed," she said, sotto voce. "We'll do it on Tuesday night in the Potions classroom. Can you be ready by then?"

"I think so."

"Good. We'll meet there at 10:30 so we can have enough time to set everything up." 

"Thanks, Professor, I'll see you then."

"Well, Mr. Potter," she said, now speaking loudly enough to be heard by a few people, "a reduction in those circular motions you're doing ought to get rid of the beard." She winked and Harry went back to his seat. He smiled at his friends with a much lighter heart and continued working on the beard problem.


	6. Chapter 6

**

Through Darkened Halls  
Chapter 6  
By Firestar

**

"So, can you tell us what's going on now, mate?"

This was the question Ron immediately asked the moment Harry had set foot underneath the Gryffindor Quidditch stands. He sighed tiredly before settling down on the ground. "You'd better sit down guys. This is going to take a while."

After the three of them had made themselves comfortable, Hermione looked up expectantly. "So?" She prompted.

Harry took a deep breath before beginning. "After I told you about Professor Snape the other day, I found out from this old book about a particular species of snake......"

----An hour later....---

"...so you see, I'm to meet Professor Dumbledore and the others on Tuesday night to bond Professor Snape with the snake," Harry finished. He leaned back tiredly, closing his eyes for a few moments. It had been a long day, and he was exhausted.

"Familiar bonding?" Hermione asked excitedly. "That's supposed to be a very ancient branch of magic. I remember reading about it in 'All Types of Bonds' a few years back..."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, 'Mione, we all know how smart you are..." This promptly earned him a glare and a smack on the head.

Harry inwardly sighed in relief. Hopefully, they wouldn't ask....

"Oh, and by the way, Harry," Hermione said, turning. "Why did Fudge and Malfoy drag you out of class today? Did you do something wrong?"

Damn. Harry looked up hesitantly, not wanting to tell them about what he'd done. What would they think of him when they found out that he'd cast an Unforgivable on another person?

"I....."

Apparently, he'd hesitated too long. "Harry?" Hermione asked worriedly. "Is something the matter?"

Harry shook his head, attempting to smile, but it came out as a grimace. "I…. I'm not sure where to begin," he confessed finally.

"The beginning's always a good place to start, mate," Ron said jokingly as Hermione shot him a dark look. The redhead didn't seem to notice the uncomfortable atmosphere around them.

"I……" Harry began, but once again stopped. He just didn't know how he should tell his friends. Finally, he said quietly, "I… did something. I'm not ready to talk about it yet though. I…. Could you just give me a few more days? I promise I'll tell you when I'm ready." His voice grew steadily softer until it was but a whisper. "I…."

Hermione looked up attentively, realizing that something was going on. However, if Harry needed time, then that was what he would get. "Of course you can, Harry," she replied kindly. "You can take as long as you like. Just know that we'll be here to listen whenever you need to talk." Beside her, Ron nodded in agreement.

Harry smiled gratefully at the two, once again thinking of how lucky he was to have such understanding friends. "Thanks, guys," he said quietly. There was no need to say anymore. Anything that needed to be said had already been expressed through their actions.

"No problem, mate," Ron answered. Trying to lighten things up, he stood up and stretched. "Hey, want to play me in a game of chess?"

Harry smiled up at the redhead boy. "Fine, fine. I don't even know why I bother though. You always win anyways."

"Don't worry," Ron said teasingly. "You are getting better. Just VERY slowly." He reached down and helped pull Hermione to her feet, despite her protests. "Come on, guys, let's go!"

Together, the three of them ran off.

HP/SS

A lone figure sat in front of the fireplace, obsidian black eyes staring unseeingly into the roaring fire. Pale hands rested on the arms of the dark, mahogany-colored couch as dark, silky hair hung limply around the person's face.

Severus sighed softly. He had been sitting there for the entire evening, for lack of better things to do. His mind had been occupied by the recent events of things, especially his conversation with Dumbledore that afternoon.

The Headmaster had come to his chambers soon after lunch and after instructing the house elves to bring in some tea and biscuits, had sat down and told him about their new idea. Apparently, Minerva had found a Platinum Tunnel Snake, a species that was known for their amazing similarity to humans in their eyesight. He had also been informed that they would meet tonight in the Potions classroom where Harry Potter, being a Parselmouth, would perform the sight bonding.

At first, Severus had been shocked. Why would Potter, the bane of his existence, be willing to help him after the years of insults and belittling he had put him through? Surely, even a Gryffindor couldn't be that noble and honorable? But gradually, he had gotten over the fact and had agreed on the meeting. After Albus had left, he had spent the rest of the day in the position he was in now, thinking.

Although he would never admit it out loud, Severus was genuinely touched at the effort the others had put into this. Minerva had gone to the trouble of researching the snake while Hagrid had to have found the snake itself. And Potter, as much as he hated him, had agreed to perform the bonding for him. What he couldn't understand, however, was why they had bothered. Why would they waste so much time on a Death Eater, not to mention an ill-tempered and snarky bastard?

A knock at his door drew him out of his reverie. Severus was about to answer when it swung open and Dumbledore's voice rang out. "Severus. It's 10:10. We should get going."

Severus gave a start. Was it that late already? Had he been sitting there for that long? Outwardly though, he just gave a nod before slowly standing up. A strong grip steadied him as slowly, he and the Headmaster made their way out of his chambers.

It took much longer than usual to get to the Potions classroom, as Severus couldn't see where he was going. The Potions Master hated showing his weakness and vulnerability in front of others, but knew that there was nothing he could do about it. He would just have to swallow his pride and accept the offered help.

They finally got to the classroom, where they met up with Minerva. Walking in, Severus gave an almost inaudible sigh of relief as he was directed into a nearby chair. Together, the three of them waited.

A few minutes later, the door swung open again and Potter's voice rang through the air. "Hello, Professors, I'm sorry about being late, but the other Gryffindors kept on asking questions…"

Severus smirked at the excuse. Beside him, Dumbledore spoke kindly. "Nothing to worry about, Harry. You made it here just find. Now that everyone's here, I believe we can start. Are you ready, Severus?"

Severus gave a slight nod of his head.

"Then let's begin."

People shifted around him, but Severus stayed where he was. He could distinctly make out the sound of a hissing snake. A voice rang out next to him.

"Professor? This is the snake. You have to be in contact with him during the bonding."

Severus nodded, allowing the small snake to be placed in his hand. He gently stroked the back of the animal with his finger as it let out a hiss of delight.

He gave a start when he felt a smooth cloth being wrapped around his eyes, but quickly calmed himself when he realized that it was undoubted part of the ritual.

A few moments later, he heard the sound of clear hissing next to him. For some unknown reason, he could tell that this was Potter speaking, not the snake. Apparently, he was correct, as a few moments later, Potter's voice rang out next to him.

"Here is your Bonded. Let him be to you your Eyes and Sight, and serve you in all things, never to be sundered from you, except in Death."

More hissing, then Latin was spoken once again.

"Lungo Oculus Aeternada!"

Somewhere inside of him, Severus felt the magic rising. He closed his eyes, and to his surprise, he found that he could see the magic. Streaks of black and green twisted around strands of deep blue as his magic bonded with that of the serpent. He suddenly felt a burst of power and warmth. The strands shimmered blindingly for another moment, before disappearing altogether. However, the warmth remained. At precisely that moment, Severus heard the clock strike midnight somewhere in the castle.

"It's done, Severus," Dumbledore informed him, and he suddenly realized that the cloth around his eyes had disappeared, although no one had removed it. Opening his eyes, he could barely hold back a gasp. Color and light overwhelmed him as he immediately snapped his eyes shut again.

"It'll take a while to get used to the light again, Severus," he heard Minerva saying. "Don't worry though; you'll be fine in a few days."

"There is a slight problem though," Dumbledore said. "It has been said that the bond takes about two days to settle down. Meanwhile, Severus, you might experience sudden dizziness and nausea. After the 48 hours, you will be fine once more. However, I would feel much safer if someone stayed with you for those 2 days."

"Albus," Severus hissed. "I will be perfectly fine by myself. I do not need a babysitter to watch over my every move."

"Severus," the Headmaster said sternly. "I apologize, but I must insist. As much as I respect your privacy, your safety is my first priority."

"Professor Dumbledore?" Potter's voice asked quietly. "I … wouldn't mind staying with Professor Snape for two days while he recovers."

Severus looked up in shock at this statement as he opened his mouth to protest. However, he was abruptly cut off by Albus' voice.

"Excellent, excellent, I'm glad you volunteered, Harry. If you are ready, I will have the house-elves move your bed and a few items down into the dungeons. I'm sure I'll be able to conjure up an extra room in Professor Snape's quarters."

"Headmaster," Severus sputtered. "You can not be serious…."

"I'm afraid that I am, Severus. Please realize that this is only for your own good. We want you to recover soon, Severus. We need you here at Hogwarts." There was a pleading tone in the old man's voice and Severus sighed. Why did he always end up in situations like this?

"Alright, Albus," he said tiredly. "But only for two days. After 48 hours, I fully expect Potter to be out of my quarters."

He could almost hear Albus' grin. "Wonderful. Thank you, Severus. Oh, and Harry, due to these circumstances, you are excused from classes for the next two days."

"Thank you, sir." The boy replied.

"Well," Dumbledore said. "It's getting late. I believe we could all use a good night's sleep. Good night, Minerva, Severus, Harry."

Replies of good night rang through the air as Severus stood up quickly, not wanting Potter to see his weakness. However, a bout of dizziness overtook him and he wavered, feeling as if he was about to collapse.

Strong arms caught him just as he pitched forward. "It's alright, Professor," Potter's voice said. "I've got you. Come on; let's get back to your quarters."

Severus scowled before abruptly pulling away from the other and slowly making his way down the hall. Several times, he wavered, but each time, Potter always managed to catch him. Hating himself for showing such vulnerability in front of a student, he could do nothing but pretend as if nothing had happened.

As they finally reached his rooms, Severus pulled away from the other's grip and entered his own room. A few minutes later, he heard Potter entering.

"What is it, Potter?" he asked harshly.

"Nothing, Professor. Just want to say good night. Professor Dumbledore has already conjured another bedroom for me; it's right next door if you need me for anything at night."

"I assure you, Potter, that---" Severus was abruptly cut off by a single word.

"Harry."

"Excuse me?" he asked, not understanding.

"My name's Harry, not Potter. I thought that since we would be working with each other for the next two days, it would be less… problematic if you could just call me by my first name."

Severus considered this for a moment before nodding. "Very well then. You may leave."

"Alright. Good night, sir."

He listened to the footsteps as they headed out his door. Just as Harry was about to step outside, Severus called out again. "Pot—Harry?"

"Yes Professor?"

"I--- thank you."

He could almost hear the brat's smile. "You're welcome, Professor." The door shut firmly as the boy exited his rooms.

Severus changed out of his robes before climbing into bed. It had certainly been an... interesting day, to say the least. However, it was a while before he managed to finally fall asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**

Through Darkened Halls  
Chapter 7  
By Juxtaposed

**

When Severus woke up the next morning, it was out of habit that he opened his eyes, momentarily forgetting about the curse and its subsequent cure. However, he was brusquely reminded of it when suddenly his vision was filled with a gigantic pair of full, luscious-looking lips parting sensuously. Immediately, he squeezed his eyes shut again.

_What in the –_

Then he heard the hissing. Two sets of it. His brain was still muddled from his odd vision, and a swell of panic rose in him – he wondered briefly if Voldemort had made his way into his chambers, but realized that that would be near impossible, and calmed down reasonably. Still, he was left wondering where the sounds were coming from.

Slowly, he cracked one eye open, and was suddenly lost in a sea of emerald green.

It was dizzying, and he decided that keeping his eyes closed would be the best course of action. Just then the hissing abated, and a tentative voice filled the air instead. "Um, Professor? Are you alright?"

The voice was regrettably recognizable. "Potter," Severus groaned.

Harry frowned, even though he knew the other man couldn't see him – yet. "Harry," he corrected.

"What are you on about, Potter?" Severus brought a hand to massage his temple. This wasn't a good sign – he'd barely been up three minutes and already he could feel a migraine coming on.

"You agreed to call me Harry." Harry reminded him quietly. He stared at Severus anxiously, hoping that the man would not take back his words.

Severus was silent for a few moments, as he tried to recall this. "So I did. My apologies, P – er, Harry. Perhaps you'll understand when I say it was a long day, and not one I particularly care to remember in detail."

Harry immediately felt bad for the other man – he surely had a lot to deal with, what with the bonding still taking its toll. "Of course, sir," he said, and paused. "So, er, how are you feeling this morning?"

"Rather like I'd drunk five bottles of Ogden's Best without a hangover potion remedy, only distinctly not as pleasant." Severus replied flatly. "Now will you please explain, why are you in my room so early in the morning, Po – Harry?"

Harry blushed, grateful for the fact Severus' eyes were still closed tightly. "I wanted to check if you were awake," he half-lied. In actuality, the thought of his professor asleep, unguarded in the next room had plagued him, and he hadn't gotten any sleep, feeling a desperate need to just be with, to protect, or even to simply look at the older man. And so, after a night of fruitless attempts to sleep, he'd crept from his adjoining bedroom, and sat on the floor by Severus' bed, watching the Potions Master sleep as he tried to sort out his evolving feelings for him.

The Platinum Tunnel Snake, now Severus' bonded, had sensed him where the unconscious man had not, and slithered over, hissing at Harry.

"You – you are the man who can talk," it had said. Harry had been taken aback for a moment, before he'd replied that yes, he could talk to snakes. "My bonded cannot talk," the snake said, rather agitatedly. "Why have I been bonded to one who cannot speak?"

Harry blinked. "He needs your help," he had explained in Parseltongue. "He has had his sight taken from him, and you are the best solution."

The snake didn't understand 'solution', but seemed rather pleased when Harry, trying to appease it, lavished compliments upon it. It had settled down a little bit, and gazed at Harry, bringing its head right up close to Harry's face. Harry found himself staring back, and raising a hand to stroke the snake soothingly along its head and back. He murmured soft noises of comfort to it in Parseltongue, which got him an approving hiss.

It was around this point that Severus had awoken, and Harry had watched nervously as his teacher struggled with keeping his eyes closed, worrying that he might have made a mistake in the spell and made things worse.

"And since I was very obviously still asleep, you decided to stay for my enthralling company?" Severus drawled, cutting into Harry's reverie.

"Well, no – I mean, your snake came out to speak to me, so I was just talking to it."

"I see," Severus said, feeling strangely disappointed that the boy was only in his room to talk to his snake. "Well, I'm awake now, so I'm sure you'll want to make yourself scarce," he added bitterly.

"What makes you so sure of that, sir?" Harry challenged him boldly, taking them both by surprise. "Why would I have volunteered to spend two days with you if I really hated your company?"

Severus could only stare at him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Through Darkened Halls  
Chapter 8  
By Stryfechild**

Slowly Severus blinked as he tried to comprehend how the boy could possibly mean what he had just said. It didn't help that the view he had of Potter; no Harry, it would make things easier on himself if he got use to thinking of the brat by his first name, that way he wouldn't have to correct himself so much, was from below him when he was used to towering above him. Giving himself a mental shake he decided the safer course was to ignore that comment for the time being, at least until he was prepared to deal with the ramifications of it all. "As thrilled as I'm sure I should be to know you care, I would like to get dressed and get ready for the day. If you please?"

Harry couldn't stop the blush from spreading across his face as he quickly rose and headed for the door. "Y-Yes sir, s-sorry Professor." As soon as he was out the door he gave a sigh of relief and leaned against the wall as he thought, trying to understand where these feelings had come from. True he didn't really hate the Potions Professor any longer but the overwhelming urge to protect him was new and Harry wasn't sure where it had come from. He couldn't even really pin point when it was that he had realized he didn't hate Snape. However examining any of these new feelings more closely was making him uncomfortable, they were leading to something he wasn't sure he could deal with, and he was absolutely certain he didn't want to deal with them.

As he was puzzling things over he heard a crash from the professor's room and rushed in without stopping to think first. And what he saw caused his face to go bright crimson; one Severus Snape, feared Potions Professor, completely naked save for a towel wrapped round his waist. "Pr-Professor are you alright?"

Severus and the snake had jerked toward the sound Harry had made coming through the door, and so he was graced with a view of a somewhat wild eyed, panting Harry. The flash that that caused in his brain was quickly stamped down before it had a chance to take hold. "POTTER! Get Out!" Harry's eyes got even wider if that was possible and he turned and fled back to the room that had been made for his use.

_Stupid. Stupid. Stupid._ Why was he worrying so much about Snape? He didn't even want to touch on what seeing him half naked had done to various bits of his body. He mentally cringed at the thought of facing Snape again but he knew that eventually he would have to and it would most likely be a better idea to get it over with quickly before the Potions Master had a chance to brood over the matter.

He slowly peeked his head around the door leading into the main room but didn't see Snape anywhere. Walking back out he looked again but Snape wasn't in the main chamber. Harry took a deep breath before walking back to the professor's door and knocking lightly. "Professor?"

"Go. Away. Potter."

"Harry, you agreed to call me Harry"

A heavy sigh made it's way through the door. "Fine, go way _Harry._"

"With all due respect sir, I don't think I will." With one more deep breath to steel himself against the repercussions, Harry opened the door and walked back into Snape's bedroom. Severus was sitting on the bed, head hanging down and hands in his lap, he looked utterly defeated. He had managed to get a pair of pants on correctly but the button down shirt was a haphazard mess. "Sir, let me help you."

"P-Harry, I believe I told you to get out! I am perfectly fine, now leave." Severus turned his back on his student, however his snake did not. It was odd knowing that he was facing away from the brat but still seeing him. He felt the snake leave his place around his shoulders and soon heard hissing.

**My Bonded is frustrated with himself and I cannot help because he cannot speak.**

Severus watched through the snakes eyes as he got closer to Harry and as Harry came toward the edge of the bed, soon those lips filled his vision. He stifled a groan and closed his eyes. The sight was too disorienting and the thoughts flitting about in his head, too disturbing.

**Give him some time. This is all new to him.** Harry slowly walked toward the professor and bent slightly so that he was on a level with him. When Severus didn't move he reached out and started buttoning the shirt._ Good grief…how many buttons can one shirt have?_

Severus had been so lost in his thoughts he hadn't realized Harry had moved until he felt hands griping his shirt. Opening his eyes he saw Harry's profile as he concentrated on the many buttons lining his shirt. "I would thank you P-Harry to cease and desist." It was so much hard to be snide when he had to use the brat's first name. He did get the pleasure of watching Harry jump a few feet up and away.

"Sorry sir, I was just trying to help." Harry head drooped as he stood and fidgeted.

"I am quite capable of dressing myself." He quickly stood and held out an arm for his snake to crawl up.

"No offense sir but obviously you aren't at the moment."

"Potter, you are severely testing my patience get out! And don't ever come in here with out permission again!" After Harry had left Severus sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Why had he agreed to let Harry stay, this was turning into a bigger mistake then he first thought it was going to be. With a mental shake of his head he set his shoulders and with the help of his snake's sight got his shirt buttoned correctly after a few failed attempts. He walked out of his room and found Harry staring into the fire place. "You do realize that the typical use of the position is when there is a fire going?" He smirked when the boy jumped a little. "Now would you care to explain why you barged in on me not once but twice this morning?"

"I-I'm sorry sir, but the first time I heard a crash and wanted to see if you were alright, the second time I just wanted to apologize for the first time." Harry's head drooped lower and lower as he spoke. "I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

"I would hope not." Seeing the boy's expression he unbent a little, it seemed the better course of action to keep peace in his quarters. "I thank you for your concern, but as I told the Headmaster I do not need a babysitter."

Harry raised an eyebrow in an expression much like Snape's. "If you say so sir… However I am here and I'm here to help so, what do you need to do today?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Through Darkened Halls  
Chapter 9  
By Corgi**

Severus was surprised at the at the boy's willingness to help him in his laboratory. He knew how much the younger wizard hated potions, he'd admit in a very tiny corner of his mind that his treatment of the boy was the reason why. He sent Po…Harry ahead to his private lab and ordered him to set up five cauldrons while he locked up his personal rooms. His laboratory was located several hallways away from his quarters, which was two away from the Slytherin dorms. He preferred not being bothered by either his students or coworkers as he worked on his experimental potions. He just hoped Po… Harry was capable of following directions. He certainly didn't seem like he could in class.

Severus made his way down the hall, deeper into the dungeons. Having the snake around is neck was liberating as she shared her sight with him. It was also a little disorienting since he was seeing things from a different angle since she perched on his shoulders. Either way he was grateful for the gift. He wouldn't lose those things that made life worth living. He was only a hall away from his lab when dizziness and nausea assailed him. He leaned against the wall with his eyes closed as the snake hissed in a comforting manner. He spared a small thought towards the snake around his neck. Was she suffering from the nausea too? Once the world stopped spinning around him and his stomach stopped rebelling he cautiously opened his eyes and saw… nothing! Though he'd never outwardly show it, panic raced through his mind. Albus never said anything about him losing the ability to see during the first forty-eight hours. He did his best to find the lab and Potter, but after a few minutes he was hopelessly lost. He could tell by the feel of the walls that he was never in this part of the dungeons and wasn't anywhere near his lab or his rooms.

He became short of breath as the panic threatened to overwhelm him. If for some reason some of his Slytherins wandered this way he was in serious trouble. The snake couldn't protect him from a mob with her venom and he couldn't see to aim. He was in trouble and he knew it. He turned in what he hoped was a hundred and eighty degree angle and stumbled forward in hopes of retracing his steps. It wasn't one of his brighter moves as he became even more lost than he was before. He started to hyperventilate as he moved faster in faster in hopes of finding familiar territory. The snake hissed as him, but since he couldn't understand her he never received her message. Much to his surprise the snake slithered down his body when he paused to catch his breath. What shocked him even more was the piercing pain in his ankle as the snake bit him. The poison raced through his system and he collapsed onto the floor. He heard her scales moving against the stone floor as she left him alone in the dark with her venom in his veins.

She moved as quickly as the cold floor would allow her. Her bonded was in danger and she knew only the speaker could help her. The fact that she couldn't talk directly with her bonded distressed her greatly. Nothing in her species collective memory explained why she couldn't speak with the man she allowed to look through her eyes. She paused every few moments to test the air. The one thing these cold, damp, man-sized tunnels were good for was preserving scent. Finally she approached an area that held the speaker's scent and she made her way to where it was the strongest.

She was stalled when she encountered the closed door to the foul smelling place. The crack beneath the door was too small for her to slither under and no matter how loudly she hissed the speaker couldn't hear her. She brushed along the wall seeking a way into the room when she suddenly slipped through a concealed hole in the wall. It was large enough for those furry, hissing, sharp clawed animals walk through and she didn't question her good fortune. She needed to hurry. Though she didn't eject a full dose of venom into her bonded, it was still enough to kill the man if she didn't hurry.

_"Speaker, speaker, please hurry. My bonded is lost and in danger."_ She hissed the moment she cleared the tunnel.

_"What happened?"_ The speaker asked with concerned eyes.

_"The bond did what you and the white haired one said would happen. It weakened enough that he cannot see out of my eyes. I had to bite him when he got lost and panicked. Please hurry, speaker"_

_"I'm coming. I've to find a poison antidote or something to slow it down until we get him to the hospital wing." _

She watched as the speaker hurried into a small room filled with hundreds of bottles. He moved frantically through the bottles and luckily didn't break any. He hurried out and threw the door open and waited for her to climb up his body. They ran through the halls with her hissing directions until they reached her bonded. The man was breathing very fast and the speaker knelt on the floor beside the tall pale man. She watched the speaker as he helped her bonded drink down something to help counteract her venom and after as few moments the black-eyed man was close to being back to normal.

She left the speaker and made her way back to her bond mate's shoulders. She looked him over with a critical glare, hissing comfortingly to him as she did so. She could feel the anger, fear and rejection from her bonded and she was confused. She tried to ask him what was wrong and became increasingly frustrated when she didn't get a response. She turned to the speaker for help.

_"He does not understand me. How am I supposed to help him I cannot speak to him?"_ She hissed at the speaker, making her anger clear.

_"We'll try and find a way for you to talk directly to him, but for now what would you like me to tell him?"_ The speaker replied calmly.

_"I want him to know that he's going to be alright. That this is only a temporary set back. I want to know why he's angry and feeling rejected."_ She allowed her confusion at the last to show clearly through her tone.

_"Angry I can guess, but the feeling of rejection has me baffled."_

"Well Potter, what is she saying?" Severus snapped at the student in front of him.

"Harry, my name is Harry and you agreed to call me by that while I was around to help. As to what the snake was saying, you really should give her a name by the way; she wanted me to tell you something and a question or two of her own." The brat responded without rising to the bait.

"Well?"

"She was trying to tell you that everything is okay." Harry replied to his less than patient prodding. Severus snorted in irritation. "She tasted your fear and knew you were upset because you had no way to defend yourself when the bond fluctuated. She wanted to know why you were mad and why you were feeling rejected. I can guess the anger came from either being bitten or the bond phasing out, or both. Now what about this rejected feeling she said she felt from you?" Severus glared in the direction he thought the boy was in, but didn't think he was able to pull it off with his sightless eyes. He heard the boy sigh. "Alright, alright, but you'd better discuss it with your snake. She may not be able to talk to you, but she does understand what you're saying."

"This creature is an animal. It has no concept of human emotion, boy." He snarled at the nosy boy.

"Snakes do understand emotions even though it's not as defined as ours. Also, you know Nagini comprehends those higher emotions. Your snake probably picked up the knowledge of the more complex ones through your bond." Harry debated.

Severus sat there in silence. Right now all he wanted to do was return to his familiar rooms. Those he can maneuver around despite his handicap. After all, he's returned from Death Eater meetings in such pain that he couldn't see straight. He shrugged that line of thought away and struggled to his feet. He nearly fell, but Po… Harry was there to lend a hand and keep him from tumbling to the floor.

"Do you want to go to the lab or to your rooms, sir?" Harry asked as he waited for Severus to steady himself.

"My rooms. There's no reason to bother with the lab. I can't see anything and I don't trust you to get it right." He doubted that Harry would notice the dejected sound in his voice.

While Harry may not have noticed it, his snake did. She immediately began hissing and he heard the younger wizard respond. After their conversation ended he felt the snake rub her head against his cheek.

"The bond will come back, Professor. She says she can still feel your presence in her head. It's a temporary fluctuation. She's not rejecting you."

"Since when have you become an expert on familiar bonds?" Severus snapped, though he really wanted to know, he just didn't want the brat to know he was interested in the answer.

"I bonded my owl and myself together at the end of last year." Harry said as he began leading Severus back to his rooms. "She's my only means of contact with my friends and as a result she's gone a lot. The bond would let her know if I needed help through the emotional surges and she'd know to go and get help."

Severus was surprised at the amount of thought that went into the younger man's decision to bond his owl tighter to him. He wondered what the difference between his bond and the one Harry used were.

"Why does it seem that your bond go both ways and the one used for me doesn't? I've seen you with your bird earlier in the year and it seems that you get input in return."

"The spell I used differs a lot from the one we used to bind you to your snake. The spell I used created a two way channel, but it doesn't allow for the sharing of our senses with each other. Yours allows the use of sight, which may be why you don't receive any emotional feedback from her." Harry told him and Severus could picture the furrows in the younger man's brows as the green-eyed wizard thought through the problem.

"Really? The sacrifice of the empathic reception from the snake is what allows me to use its eyes." Severus stated, wondering if there was a way to gain the lost portion without giving up another aspect of the bond. The younger man must have been thinking the same for his next comment paralleled Severus' thoughts.

"I'll have to unpack my books and see if there's a means to restore the empathic bond from her to you without disrupting the sight bond. There may be a way to give you her language too, possible by charming a ring or pendant. I'll have to look into that too."

Harry had stopped them for a moment and muttered the password to Severus' rooms. Severus allowed himself to be led into his rooms, though he didn't remember telling the brat the password to his rooms. They were barely in and the door shut when Severus continued their conversation as an idea concerning the brat and his owl came floating free in his mind.

"You may want to look into that for yourself too. If you lose those blasted glasses during combat you'll be able to use her eyes." Severus pointed out, but without the venom he would normally use and he didn't have a clue as to why.

"You've got a point. Would you like tea or something to eat, Professor?"

"Tea please, but no biscuits." Severus lowered himself into his chair when he found himself in familiar territory. The air in this room differed vastly from his classroom, work room and the rest of the dungeons.

He listened as Harry puttered around his small kitchen area, making the tea. He still couldn't figure out why Harry of all people is helping him. Didn't he make the young wizard's school career a living hell? He couldn't see any reason why the boy would help him. He really should think of him differently, Harry really wasn't a boy anymore and the times he truly bothered to look at Harry proved that he was a man under those robes. He decided to come right out and demand an explanation from the young man. One could never know with a Gryffindor. He might get the answer he wanted without a fuss.

He heard Harry come in with the tea, the cups rattled on the tray as the young man walked, and after preparing a cup of tea to his specifications the sound of the other man landing bonelessly on his couch met his ears. They sat in a companionable silence, sipping their tea. Neither man wanted to break the wordless truce they had. The only sound other then them sipping tea and the fire crackling was the snake slithering along Severus' clothes. Once their tea was done, Harry silently took the tray inside, washed and returned the pot and cups back into the cabinets he retrieved them from. Severus was amazed at how sharp his hearing became. He could tell from the sounds the brat made where in the kitchen he was and whether he was putting the dishes away properly. He could even hear the very light footfalls the messy-haired youth made across his rug. Harry returned to the couch with out a sound and Severus figured now was as good a time as any to find out why the brat was here.

"So tell me, why are you helping me? Haven't I given you enough reasons not to?" Severus braced himself for an answer along the lines of 'Dumbledore told me I had to' from the young man sharing his quarters.

"Why wouldn't I?" Harry answered in a confused tone.

"I've given you enough reasons to gloat at my misfortune."

"I said before you shouldn't let Voldemort win and I won't allow him to hurt anymore of my family."

"Family?" Severus was confused. He knew that the brat didn't consider him family.

"You heard me right. The staff here is the only semi-normal and reliable adults in my life, even you." Harry replied in a steady voice. "Like Hermione said earlier, if we don't take care of you, who will?"

"You told Ms. Granger what happened?" Severus was becoming angry now. His personal life wasn't something to bandy around the school.

"I had to. She's better at research than I am. Since she's Muggle born she'll have a different insight on how to reverse this curse."

"She's trying to find a cure?" Severus internally cringed at the wonder in his voice. He didn't like the way this Gryffindor was throwing him off balance.

"Yes, she is. I told you you're part of my family and Voldemort's taken enough of it already. I intend on keeping the remaining intact as long as I can." Harry's voice held a note of grim determination.

Severus sat there in stunned silence. A warm feeling was growing with in him, a feeling that only Albus has ever evoked in him.


	10. Chapter 10

**Through Darkened Halls  
Chapter 10  
By Deirdre Riordan**

Severus woke up, disoriented. He opened his eyes, but there was still nothing but darkness all around, despite the fact that he could feel the snake's weight on his shoulders. She hissed something at him, but he couldn't answer. He must have dozed off without realising it. Taking stock of himself, he found that someone had covered him with a blanket. He wondered what time it was. "Potter?" he called out into the void.

"It's Harry," said an irritated voice to his left.

"Harry," he said wearily.

"Sleep well?"

"I suppose so."

"I figured you probably needed it, so I didn't want to disturb you."

Severus nodded dumbly. "Thank you." He heard the sound of a book snapping shut, and then felt a weight next to him on the couch.

"No sight yet, then?" Harry asked.

Severus shook his head.

"It might take a few more hours. I've...well, maybe it's a solution, I don't know. But I've found something that will help you speak to the snake. Two somethings, actually. One that might work, and one that will work."

"Why bother with the one that only might work?"

"Because the one I'm sure will work is probably not something you'd want."

"I seem to have little choice in such matters these days. What is it?"

"Well...apparently...it's erm...sort of a three-way bond."

Oh, no. Severus didn't much like the sound of that. "A three-way bond?"

"Well..." he could practically feel Harry blushing. "If you were magically bonded to...someone who just happened to be a Parselmouth...oh, bloody hell," Harry said, changing tack. "To me, of course. You'd automatically gain my Parseltongue abilities and be able to talk to the Snake."

Severus was stunned. No, of course he couldn't do it. Wouldn't do it. But the fact that Harry even seemed to be willing to do such a thing for him...it made that warmth he'd felt last night return to his blood. He'd certainly never done anything to deserve such a consideration.

"See? I told you you wouldn't want it. It's bad enough being stuck with me in your rooms without being stuck with me in your head as well."

_Not so bad_ was the first thought that crossed Severus's mind. "I could never allow you to make such a sacrifice," Severus said, choosing his words carefully. "Not for me. You've already done much more than I merit."

"Bullshit, Snape. I know what you've been through because of me. I'm not bl--" clearly he'd been about to say "blind."

"No, Potter, you're not blind, and I am! Isn't that the whole bloody point here?"

"I won't bother trying to tell you to call me Harry. Clearly you don't want to."

"Maybe if you wouldn't call me Snape," he muttered under his breath.

Harry heard him anyway. "Sorry, _Professor_," he spat. "Anyway, as I was saying, due to the fact that I'm so despicable to you, the only option for you being able to speak to the Snake is the one that might work," he said, still sounding angry. "What I said about charming a ring wasn't far off, but it would be something like a pin on your shoulder. Basically what would happen is that it would act as a sort of translating machine. It would be placed so that the Snake could talk into it as well as you, and it would filter translated speech back and forth to you. The charms are very crude, though, and don't allow much for linguistic nuances. What you'd both get out of it would be very confusing, since the two languages are built on such different concepts. But it would be better than nothing." The _better than being stuck with me_ hung in the air between them.

"Would the bond be reversible?" Severus asked.

"I don't know. It all depends. In theory it would be. But if we allowed it to deepen even a little...well, you'd be stuck with me forever. I think the sensible thing to do would be to try the idea with the charmed pin. If it works out, then great-- I have my doubts, though. But you've already said no to the bond," he said, his tone souring again.

"I did not refuse out of any consideration for myself. Only consideration for you."

Harry sighed audibly. "I don't really believe you. I know you can't stand me, no matter what else you say."

Severus was about to respond, but he was stopped by light piercing his eyes. He cried out at the sting and squeezed his eyes shut. He felt Harry's hand on his face and a bony knee on top of his thigh.

"Are you all right?" Harry's voice was full of concern and his thumbs were gently stroking Severus's eyelids.

"The light," he muttered.

"Your sight's coming back. Open your eyes, slowly now," he coaxed.

Severus obeyed, squinting against the light. Slowly the world came back into focus-- the world being Harry grinning down at him, green eyes glittering with something he couldn't put words to.

"There," Harry breathed gently, still stroking his face.

Severus felt himself overwhelmed with...something. His entire body was tingling and his blood was rushing and he was fiercely aware of the fact that he had a lapful of Harry Potter. He refused to take any responsibility for what he might be about to do.


End file.
